Last One Best One: Tigers Return to Hearnes to Celebrate Seniors, Close Out 2026 Home Slate

Can you believe it? We’ve reached the end of the home slate already of the 2026 season. Where has the time gone?!? We’re entering Week 9 of the season, and the sixth and final home meet of the regular season. It’s SENIOR NIGHT, BABYYYYY, and there’s a lot of celebrating to do.

Mizzou fans who aren’t planning to travel to any of the remaining meets will get to catch a final glimpse of Lauren Macpherson, Grace Anne Davis, Elise Tisler, Sara Wabi, Addison Lawrence*, Amy Wier, and Makayla Green* at the team’s

former home, Hearnes Center. I, for one, am excited about the return to Hearnes, as it benefits the media greatly to be so close to the floor and you know it’s really all about me us (I kid). Let’s do a quick breakdown of the seniors, shall we?

Addison Lawrence: One of two seniors on the roster who has been with the Tigers her entire career. While Addi, a Kansas native, technically still has a redshirt season she could take (hence my asterisk above), the jury is out on whether or not the senior, who calls herself “old” in gymnastics terms, will return for one final year in the black & gold. While I honestly have no idea what she will decide, I think whether or not she earns that elusive 10 this season could determine her future. That, and her health, obviously.
Grace Anne Davis: The other most senior roster member who has been with the Tigers her entire career. Per my colleague Matthew, she is the only Tiger who has been with the team long enough to be a part of BOTH 2022 & 2025 National Championship runs. There are tw0 things that come to mind when I think of GAD: cheering enthusiastically for her teammates clad in giant tiger slippers and the best gainer full off the side of the beam in the NCAA. Here’s hoping “Gran” finishes the season strong; she certainly deserves it after all the injuries and her immense contributions to this team.
Lauren Macpherson: I feel like we’ve only just gotten to know the Arizona native and former San Jose State transfer. While LMac’s been with the Tigers for two seasons now, we’ve only gotten to see her compete in one after an achilles injury last year took her out just before the 2025 opener. “I’m so glad I decided to come back, because this is like the best experience of my life, being here and just being in the SEC,” Lauren said at media availability a few weeks ago. “I didn’t really know what to really expect from coming back, and I just was like, let’s give it a try. And if I’m in one, if I’m in two, like so what? I’m really proud of myself.”
Elise Tisler: We simply haven’t had enough time with the effervescent ET, a former Towson transfer and Virginia native who is a staunch mental health advocate who’s in her second year with the Tigers. Talking with Elise has been an absolute joy, I must say. She’s always willing to have a chat and is quick to thank the media for our coverage; she’s just a damn delight. When asked after Sunday’s intrasquad meet about her feelings going into her final home meet, she said, “Honestly, I feel like I’ve been kind of pushing it off since I got this extra year, which I’m super grateful for… But it is always exciting to compete at home and just have one big celebration.”
Amy Wier: A lifelong Missouri fan, the last two years in the black & gold have been a super sweet homecoming for the Show Me State native. It’s been a joy to watch the Oklahoma transfer turn into one of the country’s best beam leadoffs, and their loss has definitely been Mizzou’s gain. Additionally, I’d be remiss not to mention that it’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know her parents at pre-meet tailgates and I am thankful for their hospitality.
Sara Wabi: While we haven’t seen the Chicago native outside of exhibition routines thus far in her lone season in the black & gold, I’m still holding out hope to see the high-flying former Illinois State Redbird in the final few weeks of the regular season.
Makayla Green: The New Jersey graduate student joined the Tigers for the 2026 season after a great career at Illinois and I am fairly certain she still has a year of eligibility left if she decides to use it. The bars specialist has been really turning a corner performance-wise the last few weeks, and I’m excited to see how she does the remainder of this season.

Now that we’ve honored our senior leadership, it’s time to look closer at the meet.

Meet Info: Throwback Night + Senior Night

When: Sunday, March 1, 2026

Where: Mizzou Arena | Columbia, Mo.

Time: 1 pm

TV: SEC+

Live Stats: Virtius— https://virti.us/session?s=EWgMgesmq2

Tickets: Purchase here: MUTigers.com/2026GymTix

Promotions: Free Mizzou hair scrunchie for first 500 fans | Bring nonperishable food items to donate to Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri for “Stick It to Hunger” campaign

2026 Mizzou Gym Schedule (updated)

Week 10 (3/6): at Georgia, 6pm

Week 11 (3/13): at Auburn, 7pm

Week 12 (3/21): SEC Championships (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Week 13 (4/2, 4/4): NCAA Regionals (tbd site)

Week 14 (4/16-20): NCAA Championships (Fort Worth, TX)

History: In the all-time series against the Razorbacks, the Tigers hold a 19-17 lead, including an epic 197.800 (highest road score in history) – 197.225 win in Fayetteville last season. Arkansas last won in CoMo in March 2024, when they set a then-program record 197.650.

Leotard Time: Senior’s Choice! When I wrote my leotard piece, Gameday Glitter/Tiger Stripe came up often as a fave of Tiger gymnasts, so it’s no surprise this is the one they picked for their Senior Night extravaganza.

Last Time On The Mats: Week 8 Rewind

When we last saw our #7 Tigers, they welcomed in the Fighting Illini, Air Force and Ball State. The vibes were elite, the scores were good to great, and it was a great last minute in the Tigers’ new home, Mizzou Arena. You can read my in-depth recap, along with some extra notes about the team’s Sunday intrasquad here. Here’s the highlights:

First rotation (vault): 49.325— Season-high! RJ— Y 1.5, wins event in leadoff! (9.925, 2nd highest of season) | Kaia— PFH (9.85, 2nd highest) | Kennedy small hop on YF (9.825, 2nd highest) | Kimarra sizable step back on YF (9.85) | Elise— small hop on Y1.5 (9.875, 2nd highest) | Hannah— uncontrolled landing (9.775, dropped) | Dakota— exhibition, amazing (9.875, season best) | After One: MIZ 49.325 | AIR 49.150 | ILL 48.800 | BALL 48.400

Second rotation (bars): 49.325— 2nd highest rotation score of season. Makayla— stick! (9.875, season best) | Olivia— stick! (9.875, SB tie) | Kaia— great handstands, small step (9.825, SB tie) | Maiya— tiny step forward (9.85, 2nd highest) | Hannah— stick! Event winner! (9.925, 2nd highest) | Kimarra— squatty, step forward (9.775, dropped) | Rayna— exhibition, stick! (9.75, SB) | After Two: MIZ 98.675 (highest score through two of season) | AIR 98.000 | ILL 97.625 | BALL 97.500

Third rotation (beam): 49.300— 3rd highest rotation score of season, 5/7 sticks! Amy— stick! (9.90, ties career high, co-event winner) | Olivia— side aerial wobble, stick (9.825) | Lauren— stick, gorgeous (9.875) | Kaia— little wobble, stick (9.775, dropped) | Railey— stick (9.90, co-event winner) | Addi— step forward, small wobble (9.85) | Hayli— exhibition, small step (9.700 debut, season high) | After Three: MIZ 147.975| AIR 146.775 | ILL 146.575 | BALL 146.325

Final rotation (floor): 49.575— Season high for Mizzou! RJ— ties career high! (9.925, c0-event winner) | Elise— ties best Mizzou score (9.925, season high, co-event winner) | Kaia— inserted into lineup for Ayla during touch period (9.90, 2nd highest score) | Kimarra— career high tie! (9.875, dropped) | Hannah— another 9.90+ score and the second highest of her career (9.925, co-event winner) | Kennedy— breaks the 5x 9.925 streak, but still great (9.90, 2nd best this season | Rayna- exhibition, nicely done! (9.85, season high)

Closing Thoughts: ““I thought we were very steady across the first three events,” Shannon said post-meet. “And then we really kind of picked it up there at the end and took advantage of a great ending rotation right there on the floor. We were 50% on sticks tonight, so that was great… That was definitely some progress, our best stick percentage of the year. So yeah, really excited.”

MVGs (as voted on by me): Railey Jackson, Hannah Horton, Elise Tisler, Amy Wier

Quick Comparisons

While Arkansas has the highest score of the season between the two, Mizzou holds the edge in both average score and in NQS thanks to their consistency. The Gymbacks excel on vault in particular, but really, overall this is setting up to be a pretty even matchup across the board. I expect lots of excitement in store.

One final note: Arkansas has performed much better at the friendly confines of Bud Walton Arena than on the road. At my last check-in, the Fightin Jordyn Wiebers were averaging 196.792 across their four away meets, but 197.325 at home in four meets. They actually only have one score above 197 this season away from BWA, a 197.700 at the Metroplex Challenge, which featured a number of different teams.

Opponent Outlook: Arkansas Razorbacks

KEY ADDITIONS:

KEY LOSSES:

Dakota Essenpries— transfer to MIZ (VT) | Kaitlyn Ewald (UB, BB) | Kalyxta Gamiao (BB, FX) | Maddie Jones (UB, BB, FX) | Mati Waligora (UB, BB, FX)

LINEUP LOOKSIES:

NOTES:

Preseason Rankings: In the 2026 College Gym News’ preseason power rankings, the Arkansas Razorbacks were ranked no. 5. Here’s what they said:

The Razorbacks’ offseason was similar to that of the Florida Gators, with Joscelyn Roberson nabbing vault bronze at world championships to give Arkansas its run of elite success. Five former four- or five-star recruits also make up its rookie class, providing it with plenty of new talent to mold. The third-ranked recruit of her class, Allison Cucci enters collegiate gymnastics as the program’s highest-ranked and rated recruit ever, exponentially raising the potential for the Razorbacks’ roster as a potential all-arounder from the jump. Plus, Arkansas adds proven starpower in Morgan Price, its former five-star de-commit who chose to start her career at Fisk, establish herself as the best HBCU gymnast ever before transferring back to Fayetteville. Head coach Jordyn Wieber has the pieces she needs to lead the Razorbacks to their best finish ever.

Week 8 Rewind: The Gymbacks are coming off a week in which they TIED with Kentucky at home at 197.125 apiece. Joscelyn Roberson took the beam title with her sixth 9.95 score in 8 meets, while also tying for the floor title with Lauren Williams for a 9.95 on floor. The team’s 49.600 on floor was a season high, and per their team site, their fourth highest in program history. They struggled on bars last week with multiple falls, so it was good for them that their other scores kept them on the right side of the 197 mark.
The Price (Score) is Right: Morgan Price scored the first ever perfect 10 in Arkansas Gymbacks history last week on vault after previously being the recipient of Fisk’s first ever perfect 10 last season on bars! What can’t this gal do? She also was named no. 1 on this week’s CGN Power Rankings: Top Transfers piece.

“Already able to call her collegiate career historic, Price added another milestone last weekend with her first perfect 10 on vault. Sticking her Yurchenko one and a half not only earned the first 10.0 in Arkansas history, but also made her the first gymnast to score two different programs first perfect 10s after reaching perfection on bars at Fisk last season. After originally committing to Arkansas, then starring at Fisk as arguably the greatest HBCU gymnast of all time, Price is now thriving with the Razorbacks. Her steady all-around production has played a major role in Arkansas’ top-eight ranking and strong position in the nationals race.”

Missouri Lineup Preview

Due to the meet again being on streaming as opposed to linear TV, we again will have a chance to see some Tiger exhibitioners. While last week in the double dual format, Shannon didn’t want to add a bunch of extra time to the meet, but perhaps this week in a regular dual, we’ll get to see a couple of extra routines on each event? [crosses fingers]

Graph Analysis: Those two big oopsies rotations aside, this has been a very consistent team this season. Love the upward trajectory of scores I’m seeing currently. It’s exactly what this teams needs as we inch closer to postseason.

LINEUP LOOKSIES:

VAULT

Lineup Prediction: I really liked last week’s lineup, and with Dakota on a hot streak — an almost stick in EXH last week and a stick in Sunday’s intrasquad, she’s entering my lineup and taking the place of KG, as she’s the weakest of the two 9.95 SV vaults in the lineup (even with a solid 9.85 this year). Based on that, I’m going with RJ | Kaia | Dak | Ki | ET | H2.

Alternates: Liv (Y 1.5 tuck) | Ken (YF) | Ayla (YF) — I feel like we’re going to see an Olivia Kelly vault this week, just like we saw at the intrasquad. Also, KG stuck her YF the same day. The vault squad was looking gooood.

BARS

Lineup Prediction: Based on nothing other than my own thoughts that there’s seniors in this lineup, I’m going with a different lineup of Mak | Liv | Kaia or Maiya | LMac | H2 | Ki, but it could go any number of ways. I think the leadoff spot is Mak’s, but I also think we see LMac back in the lineup, which means she’s in for either Kaia or Maiya. This lineup honestly has so much potential with sticks. They were semi-sticky last week at 50%, and realllly sticky at the intrasquad, going 5/6, so here’s hoping it continues.

Alternates: Sara W (9.90 CH)— it hasn’t happened yet this season but bars is her specialty | Addi (9.90 SB)— she was practicing bars this week.

BEAM

Lineup Prediction: I think this rotation is locked up, for sure with Amy | Liv | LMac | Kaia | RJ | Addi, and I went with this particular order based on last week. I do hope OK’s side aerial landing has returned to its normal state of awesomeness after a few meets of wobbles.

Alternates: GAD | Ken | Hayli | Lisa— the latter three looked good at the team’s intrasquad, and Hayli got in last week. I think Grace Anne is either in the lineup, perhaps in place of Kaia or Liv (?), or in an exhibition slot this week, as it’s her final home meet in the black & gold.

FLOOR

Alternates: Wabi— she warms up this event a lot, and is a senior | Rayna— many 9.90+ in 2025, and had a 9.85 exh last week | Maiya— prior exh and 9.9 at B&G; also did a full routine at the intrasquad Sunday

All-Around: Does anyone compete the all-around on Sunday? I’m going with no, since I’m focusing on some more senior participation. If it happens, it’s Kaia. I’d love to see RJ, but she wasn’t even competing bars at the intraquad on Sunday.

Other Notes & Quotes:

Title Town: The Tigers have taken 31 event titles this season, led by H2 (10), RJ(6), Ki & Addi (4), KG (2), and Ayla/ET/Kaia/Maia/Amy (1).
9.9! [to be said in my best Jake Peralta Brooklyn 99 voice]: 54 9.90 or higher scores have been earned in 2026, led by Hannah Horton’s dozen. Kimarra Echols, Addison Lawrence, Kennedy Griffin and Railey Jackson all have a half-dozen.
Fun Floor Facts: Mizzou’s active streak of 49+ on floor continues, and now is at 74 after last week.
Score Predictions: I’m going high for this one, friends, even if it ends up being a “ghost score.” (side note: Shame on the NCAA for not announcing this new NQS formula until after the schedules were made.) After last week, I’m going with a 49.4 on vault, 49.5 on bars, 49.5 on beam and 49.650 on floor, which would be…. [does math]… a 198.05, which would be tied for second highest score in program history. At the very least I’m shooting for a 197.800, which is what Mizzou scored at Arkansas last year.
On the feelings going into Senior Night: “I think it’s just taking every moment and being in the present moment and being where your feet are and being confident in where your feet are, something that we really talk about often in here, and so just kind of taking it one step at a time and just building off every single routine,” Elise said.
NQS Note: It’s important to note that this is the Tigers’ sixth home meet of the season, and since only the five lowest home meets can count towards the new NQS, this meet’s score — if good — will essentially be what Nate described to me as a “ghost” score. It can’t count do anything to enhance the team’s NQS at this point, only hurt it. If that’s confusing, I understand, as I sat in the softball press box on Friday night breaking my brain trying to figure this thing out. We’ll re-evaluate after this meet once we see how it plays out, don’t you worry.
Top Transfers: LMac comes in at no. 7 on the aforementioned CGN Top Transfers piece. Mak was listed in the “Next Up” category, just behind MSU’s Naya Howard. Here’s what they had to say about Lauren:

“Macpherson’s Missouri debut was delayed by a season-ending injury after transferring from San Jose State, but her patience has paid off. Now healthy, she has become a key part of Missouri’s top-10 bars and beam lineups. Though she was part of last year’s historic third-place team without competing, she has made the most of her opportunity this season, recording three scores of 9.9 or better and remaining perfect on beam to anchor her comeback.”

Records Watch

Balance Beam: 49.575, broken three times in 2025 (at ARK in Mar 25, SEC Champs in Mar 25, Seattle Regionals Rd 2, Apr 25)
Uneven Bars: 49.600, scored at Mizzou Quad, March 10, 2024
Vault: 49.500, scored at Illinois Quad, March 17, 2024
Floor Exercise: 49.725, scored at Zou to the Lou, February 14, 2025
Overall Score: 198.100, scored vs. Auburn, March 9, 2025
Best Attendance of the 2000s: 1/26/24 vs. LSU— 7,336
Best 2026 Home Attendance: 5,164 v. LSU